Hopes alive for Whitbread & Millwall

• by Soccer America , May 15, 2009

[AMERICANS ABROAD] English second division club Reading, whose goalkeeper is American Marcus Hahnemann, saw its quest to return to the English Premier League dashed on Tuesday with a 2-0 loss to Burnley in the promotion playoffs. But defender Zack Whitbread's hopes of moving up the ladder, from the third to second tier, got a boost on Thursday when he helped Millwall to 1-1 tie with Leeds and a 2-1 aggregate win that takes Millwall to the promotion final.

Whitbread went the full 90 against Leeds, whose American Mike Grella came on in the 90th minute. Millwall will face the winner of Scunthorpe vs. MK Dons, for which American forward Jemal Johnson plays.

Johnson was born in the USA and raised in England, as was Whitbread, who has played for U.S. youth national teams.

Grella is a Duke graduate who passed on MLS to sign with Leeds earlier this year.